Goals are important. If we want to progress in life, achieve things that matter, leave a legacy, and reach our highest goal, we must do some planning.

We accomplish larger life changes when we identify and work out our goals, especially in the career- or passion-pursuing areas. Making a plan is a solid and methodical way to improve our lives, ourselves, and our witness.

Goals differ from wishes and resolutions. They are also different from dreams. Goals are action-oriented and contain steps or objectives to make them happen. They might focus on finances, health and fitness improvement, relationships, or career changes.

But before we all rush off to write or revisit our plans, we should consider what God has said should top our list. It may or may not surprise you, but God’s plans often include simple actions, like love, rather than big, all-encompassing schemes.

Chapter thirteen of First Corinthians is labeled the Bible’s love chapter. That’s where Paul extols the importance of love and offers a long list of how love behaves. But it isn’t until the next chapter that we find the best God-sanctioned goal.

Let love be your highest goal.

~1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT

Simply stated and totally focused. Our number one goal, always, is to love.

Too often, we believe we must improve ourselves to be more valuable in God’s kingdom. We volunteer more, give more, witness more, and work harder for Him. But our greater significance may be as straightforward as loving others. What would happen if we all loved first, loved best, and loved most?

If I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

~1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT

When we focus our attention on this one goal, everything in our little corner of the world makes a significant shift and we can impact our friends, families, and communities.

Nothing matters as much as daily showing the love of Christ in big and small ways. Otherwise, we may just be wasting our time and energy. As long as we’re living, whether we make other plans or not, our highest goal should always be to love others.

Think about your greatest challenge to love others well.

Dear heavenly Father, help me be a constant source of love to those around me. I want to walk through each day, showing love as genuinely as Your Son did during His time on earth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Nonfiction

Copyright 2025: Our Highest Goal: Cynthia Mendenhall: All Rights Reserved